Liver hemangioma refers to a tumor which develops due to proliferation of blood vessels that might be atypical or arranged in irregular manner. They are benign in nature and do not have a risk of developing cancer. It can occur on any part of the body. These tumors are asymptomatic. Around 80 % of the hemangiomas influence the skin, with the liver being the internal organ that is most likely affected.
Cause:
The exact cause of this liver condition is not known. Many consider it to be congenital defect, while some are of the view that the growth of hepatic hemangiomas might be associated with hormonal imbalance. Since this condition is linked with the proliferation of blood vessels, it is assumed that this benign angioma might be induced due to the abnormal growth of endothelial cells, which are on the inner surface of the blood vessels.
Risk factors:
The risk factors include gender, age, hormonal therapy and hormonal imbalance. People who are prone to come under the high-risk embrace of:
- Women belonging to age group of 30 to 50 years:
Women in the age group of 30 to 50 years are four to five times more feasible to develop such vascular masses than men. They are at a high risk of developing giant hepatic hemangiomas as compared to men.
- Women undergoing estrogen therapy:
It is noted that infants can develop infantile hemangioendothelioma, which is an uncommon subtype of non-cancerous hepatic tumor that could give rise to serious complications. It is frequently diagnosed by the time infants are six months old, it has been linked with high incidence of heart failure and death in infants.
- People taking steroids since long time:
It is believed that the use of steroids and estrogen therapy can aggravate the growth of such tumors. It is not clear whether these therapeutic drugs directly induce the development of it or not. Certain studies point towards the link between an increase in the size of an existing hemangioma and pregnancy.
Though most cases of it in infants and children resolve before they turn 10, hepatic hemangioma may abide throughout life. In cases where the tumor grows the presages may embrace
- Abdominal pain
- Dizziness
- Liver enlargement
Pain could arise due to thrombosis or compression of the surrounding structures by the tumor. Therefore, once the appearance of a liver hemangioma has been detected, radiological testing must be done at regular intervals to avert complications. The diagnostic techniques that might be employed to diagnose and analyze the hemangioma embrace:
- Ultrasound
- CT scan
- MRI scan
- (SPECT) scan
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